This wall of floor-to-ceiling open shelves really spoke to us. It looks like it might be in a ceramics studio instead of a kitchen, but it's difficult to tell from this single shot. A few of our favorite things about this look...

• It's fairly monochromatic. The light wood of the shelves, island, tabletop, floor and ceiling with the muted whites of the dishes and countertop make for a soft and comforting atmosphere.

• The high open shelves and ladder, while exposing all those dishes to dust and grime, also speak to utility and spareness. We like it even though we wouldn't want to dust all those dishes...

• The natural light. There's a clear direction of light here, and the room just seems to bask in it. The room is not overlit with tons of finicky fixtures but is well-lit by the sun.

• Who wouldn't love that faucet? The height and interesting shape of this commercial style faucet helps make the space.

So what exactly would we take away from this inspirational photograph? Well, we're certainly not installing floor-to-ceiling open shelves in the kitchen anytime soon. But it does have us thinking about softening the harsh whites in our kitchen (from the walls to the dishes) and editing down to a utilitarian simplicity. Funny how a beautiful photograph of hundreds of stacked dishes can inspire spareness! Via: Pink Wallpaper